°Isabella's POV°

I had a feeling Mateo was inside when I approached the door and saw it was unlocked. And sure enough, I was right.

He was the only one with a key to my place, and even though I'd told him a hundred times not to just let himself in without asking, he kept doing it anyway.

Honestly, the moment I stepped inside and saw him stretched out on the sofa-looking so relaxed and almost fragile-something tightened in my chest.

I wanted to shield him from the world.

But as I leaned down to brush my fingers through his hair and trace the line of his jaw, the ugly...